Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, rosemary and bay leaf, steamed lentils and another pinch of salt, broth, water and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a simmer, stir, cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove and discard the rosemary and bay leaf.

Serve, garnishing each bowl with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Serves 4.

Quick notes

Like most soups, this one is even better if you make it a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. When you reheat and serve it the next night for dinner, the flavor will be better, if that is even possible!

What are steamed lentils? They are cooked, ready-to-eat, and usually found in the fresh produce section at the grocery store. You can use them hot or cold in soups, grain side dishes, salads or appetizers — anywhere you like to use lentils!

Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian version for Meatless Monday.

Hi Dorothy- this recipe looks so delicious and full of flavor. I love how quickly the soup comes together when you use steamed lentils. I usually season mine with thyme and cumin. I will try your variation too. I love how flexible lentil soup is.

hmm, I have never had steamed lentils – I have to look for those! otherwise, I will be making this soon, both Jason and I love lentil soup and this sounds incredible! and I agree – so good the next day!

Just finished making this soup. Oh boy! Can’t wait to eat it. The aroma in the house is amazing. I used mostly beef broth but also used a little chicken broth that I needed to use up. Added some dried parsley flakes for color at the end. Had made my own chicken broth last night so that’s what I cooked my dried lentils in first then added the rest of the ingredients. Thanks for the recipe. Soups are my passion and love to sample them in restaurants.

I make this soup all the time. I add leeks to the veggie mix. I use 2 packages of Melissa’s Steamed Lentils & puree half of one package to make the soup thick. Sometime I use less broth (have made with both beef & chicken = either fabulous) and it’s more of a stew. Pour over a baked sweet potato & with a couple of tablespoons of non-fat greek yogurt. So Delish!

Just made this soup and it is FANTASTIC. I used vegetable broth and no cheese as I’m vegan. But this really helped me fight off the cold! For a boost in flavor I also added garam masala which really gives this soup a great taste. Next time I think I’ll double the onion. (I love onion)

Made this soup today and it is delicious. I am on the weight watcher point plus plan and I entered all of the ingredients that have a point value ( fruits and vegtables are considered 0 points) I am happy to tell you that this fantastic soup has only 5 points per serving. I added a little brown rice to mine so the point value would be a little higher. Thank you so much for sharing this recipie.

I made this soup last night with red lentils and substituted cumin and oregano for the rosemary and bay leaf. It is really the best lentil soup i have ever made/had in my life!!! Wow – I think that garlic/tomato combo in there adds amazing flavor. So glad I found you – thank you!

Becca,
I would suggest starting with 1 cup dried lentils (rinsed, picked over to make sure no little stones, etc.) and give them a head start in the pot by covering with broth and cooking for 10-15 minutes or so (covered). Then go from there with the rest of the ingredients. You can cook/boil/steam them in a separate pot if you like, but I am a fan of FEWER dirty pots and pans, and less muss and fuss. Just remember if you start with dried lentils, you will need additional broth because they will soak up some of it. Depending on what kind of lentils you use, they might be tender in as little as 20 minutes or so. I really think you can’t go wrong…lentil soup is very forgiving and earthy. Good luck, and come back and tell me how you did, so I can add it to the recipe! Thank you!

I cooked them for at least 30 min until they were barely rocky. Then I followed the recipe except I only had dried rosemary and I minced the onion in a little processor so my 4-y.o. daughter wouldn’t notice them. I probably cooked it a little longer waiting for my hubby to come home. It was really good and easy. The best part was that my 1-year-old devoured it and ate as much as I put in front of him. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch today.

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Hi from Dorothy Reinhold

Welcome to my kitchen, where the oven is always on, and the fridge is packed with delectables!

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